Why should US courts follow Foreign Law?? Mike actually wrote a blog?!?!?

It was reported that President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., believes that American judges do not have to follow the guidlines of other countries in the court room. Frankly, he believes that it would be unconstitutional to interpret our Constitution based on "a poll of the countries in the world." His argument stems from the Supreme Court ruling on March 1st, where the execution of murderers under the age of 18 at the time of their crime was outlawed. This is the opinion of many nations, especially when it is about executing young people. Judge Alito believes that we would be encountered with a host of problems because we would have to look at what countries we would be observing first. But, then you have to decide what to make of the foreign court decisions because not all courts are set up the same way. The 9 Rebublicans in the Supreme Court panel have unanimously chosen to give their votes to Alito, but the Democrats are questioning his ideals sharply. It would be hard for him not to become judge though, seeing as the Republicans own 55 of the Senate's 100 seats.

Turning to related events in history, a young Samuel Alito once before disagreed with a Supreme Court ruling: as a lawyer in the Reagan administration. Alito disagreed with the Court's 1973 decision in the Roe vs. Wade case , which established a woman's right to choose abortion, and discussed ways that it might be overturned. This is the best comparison I could come up with, but if anyone has something to add, please do so.